[afro-nets] HIV through a tooth brush?

From: Brenda Okech <bokech@gmail.com>

Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 09:07:02 +0300

HIV through a tooth brush?
--------------------------

I received a forward this morning which was really puzzling as
it was claiming that HIV could be passed through a tooth brush.
I would like to read some facts on this matter from HIV experts.
See below for the story.

The congregation of a Pentecostal church in Ibadan, Oyo State,
was held spell-bound shortly before Christmas when a couple
(name withheld) decided to give an usual testimony: their two
young kids had tested positive to HIV, a condition leading
killer Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). More
surprise: the innocent youngsters got infected through the
female house-help of 16. The shocker came in form of a testimony
given by the unfortunate mother during church service who said
she decided to break her long silence "to serve as lesson to
other parents to beware of the danger in entrusting their wards
to house-helps".

"Discreet investigations by the parents confirmed that the
house-help had been jumping from one bed to another in their
neighbourhood in Ibadan. According to her, the family got the
shocking news following a routine medical test earlier in year
(2004). Moving enough, the two kids, who attend a private
nursery school in Ibadan, were also present during service
alongside their dad while the mother gave her testimony: "We
cried to the Lord, how can this happen to us. We wondered where
and how children of 7 and 10 could contract this deadly disease
called AIDS".

"We first carried our case to the Lord before we began our own
investigation. Naturally, we panicked and the small voice in us
told us we should keep it to ourselves. Initially, we resisted
going for an AIDS test ourselves. We were afraid of the
consequences if we were to test positive to AIDS. Eventually, we
summoned courage and decided to see a doctor".

"We wanted to make it as secret as possible. We wanted it to be
our own cross. But most importantly, we agreed to go for the
test for the sake of our children. We wanted to know whether we
were the ones responsible for their fate. So, we became even
more apprehensive when we tested negative. Who and what then
could be responsible? We asked ourselves".

"Again, we sought God's face. The God opened our eyes that we
should subject our house help to a similar AIDS test. Another
riddle began when the house help tested positive. How did it
happen? How did these children contract AIDS from the house
help? We took time to explain to her the implications of her
testing positive to AIDS virus. We seriously appealed to her to
let us into how she passed the virus to our children. We told
her we were not going to hold her responsible for the plight of
our children. That we wanted her to be honest with us in order
to find a solution to the problem at hand."

Then the bombshell! "She was in tears when she told us that she
used to make use of the children's toothbrushes. She confessed
she did this many times over whenever she could not lay hands on
her own toothbrush. Not only that, she revealed that she equally
used her own toothbrush for the children. She said she did all
this out of ignorance. That she meant no harm as she was not
aware of the deadly implications of her actions".

"Since then, life has not been the same with us. We now look our
children with pity. What future do they have now? We look ahead,
and watch how these, our lovely children will die slowly. But we
are trusting in God for divine healing. This is the cross, the
pain, we have to carry for the rest of our life. The lives of
these innocent children are clearly in danger for no fault of
theirs. We feel guilty for bringing this girl in as our house
help."